PirateBay Act-Alike Drive-by Downloads Distribute Nuclear Exploit Kit

During the last couple of years exploit kits (EKs) have been quite active. Having in mind the damages they can do, researchers have concluded EKs are among the fastest growing and evolving security threats today. One of the most violent ones is the Black Hole Exploit Kit. As of 2012, it was defined as the most prevalent malicious threat. Even though it was stopped in 2013, when its creators were arrested, other exploit kits quickly followed. One of them is the Nuclear Exploit Kit.

The Nuclear Exploit Kit on the Rise

Security researchers have reported that the Nuclear EK has compromised several WordPress websites in order to deliver the attack. With the help of malicious code, the attackers are redirecting users to a falsified Pirate Bay website where a drive-by download happens. As a result, a banking Trojan enters the victim’s computer.

Users usually don’t suspect that something is wrong with the website in question because its iframe doesn’t seem suspicious. The truth is it has an obfuscated string that leads to thepiratebay.in.ua, redirecting the user to another iframe where the exploit kit awaits.

Users should be alarmed because the Nuclear Exploit Kit is not easily detected by AV tools. Research shows that only 9 out of 56 anti-malware programs could distinguish it. If the tool succeeds in its detection, it will be displayed as Trojan.Agent.ED.

Who Is in Danger?

The attack is browser-driven and is affecting outdated versions of Flash. Experts have detected that the malicious kit takes advantage of the CVE-2015-0311 vulnerability. The threat is most probably authorized by a Russian command and control server (usabrent[.]ru).

All people using an unpatched Flash Player are in danger of an attack.
Even though the full aspect of the attack is not yet understood, the exploitation of a defective WordPress component, e.g. a theme or a plug-in, is a well-known technique.
Security experts are confident that the current attack is linked to a last-year malicious campaigne named SoakSoak. Back then, more than 100 000 websites were damaged.

How to Stay Protected?

Specialists suggest that all WordPress users should instantly check whether they are running the latest WP install or not. The plug-ins should also be checked.
Using a sharp and complicated password is another way to stay away from malicious attacks.